Saturday, 5 September 2009

Public trust in BBC is increasing says poll

Public trust in the BBC is growing according to a Guardian/ICM poll published in the Guardian today.An overwhelming majority, 77%, think the BBC is an institution people should be proud of – up from 68% in an equivalent ICM poll carried out five years ago. Asked if the BBC is trustworthy, 69% now say yes, against 60% in 2004. Only 26% disagree.Confidence in the BBC has also improved since a Guardian/ICM poll in 2007. Then, a majority, 59%, said their trust in the corporation had fallen in the wake of the much-publicised TV fakery scandals, while only 37% said it was unchanged.Now attitudes have reversed. A majority, 57% say their trust in the BBC has not faltered while 41% say it has fallen.A clear majority of viewers and listeners – 58% – said they think there is no difference between news on the BBC and other channels. The poll showed only 16 % think the BBC should ease pressure on commercial rivals by charging for its website, against 79% who do not.Asked to pick from a range of ways of funding the BBC, including the licence fee, a subscription service and selling advertising, more people back the licence fee than any alternative.But supporters remain in the minority. The fee is backed by 43%, against 24% who think advertising should foot the bill and 30% who think people should pay to subscribe if they want to see BBC programmes.But there is also public support for the easing of tight restrictions on what broadcasters can say: 61% agree the BBC and other broadcasters should be free to hold political positions, against 37% who disagree.

About Me

I am a freelance journalist based in the UK and was deputy editor of Press Gazette, the journalists' magazine, from 1993 until 2006. I want to give an independent view on media matters.
You can contact me with stories, ideas and comments by email at jon.slattery369@btinternet.com You can also follow me on Twitter @jonslattery